There it was again, that vague sense that there was more to their story than they were sharing. “Why?”
Mommi’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not your place to question, Elsie.”
“You’re needed here, Elsie. As is everyone else,” her grandfather said. “Besides, I don’t think this is something for the family. It’s only for your grandmother and me.” He stood up. “Now that we’ve told you, Marie, I’m going to tell Peter and Roman. Then we’re going to need to finish packing and get ready.”
“Our bus leaves bright and early in the morning.” Mommi stood up and shook out her skirts. “Thank you for understanding, Marie.”
As her grandparents shuffled out of the room, Elsie reached for her mother’s hand. “Mamm, I can’t remember a time when this family has been coming and going so much.”
“That’s because there hasn’t been a time. But I guess that’s to be expected. Life brings challenges. Some wonderful-gut, like Roman and Amanda getting married. And others like my illness. You can’t plan for it all.”
Her mother’s words gave her the courage to share her own news. She knew her family had probably clued her in but she knew her mamm. She’d want to hear it all from her directly. “Mamm, Landon Troyer took me out for a buggy ride last weekend.”
“I heard a little about that. Did you have a gut time?”
“I did.” She bit her lip. “I’m kind of surprised that I haven’t heard from him since, though. I would have thought he’d stop by again.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t want to seem too eager.”
“You think?”
“Maybe. Men are silly like that.”
It struck Elsie that this was the first conversation she’d actually had about dating. “Mamm, you’re the first person not to tell me that I shouldn’t have gone.”
“If I’ve learned anything over the last few months, it’s that it’s time to stop judging and guessing and advising. Sometimes the Lord just wants us to listen and offer support. He gives us two ears and just one mouth, you know. Now, has your time with Landon made you happy?”
“It did,” she said quickly.
“If it made you happy, then you deserve to be happy. That’s enough for me.”
Elsie felt tears prick her eyes. She really needed someone to believe in her. She’d needed someone to be happy for her.
“I’m so glad you’re back home, Mamm.”
“No one is happier than me, dear.” She smiled weakly, then closed her eyes. “But I am a little sleepy.”
“I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”
“There’s no need.”
“I’m happy to sit with you.”
“You always have been the best daughter,” her mother said sleepily.
Elsie laughed. That phrase had been something their mother had said time and again over the years to her and Viola.
Maybe things really were getting back to normal.
As Peter watched his father’s slightly stooped form exit the barn, he picked up the old broom and gave it a hard swipe across the dusty ground. “Just when I think everything’s back to normal, something else happens. Now your grandparents are off to Pennsylvania tomorrow morning.”
Roman shrugged his shoulders. His son always did seem to keep his wits about him, no matter what happened. It allowed him to stay out of the drama that seemed to always plague Peter’s complicated family.
“I’m going to worry about them something awful. If they would have waited a bit, Sam or I could have gone with them.”
“So you could help them . . . or find out what they’re going to do?”
Peter chuckled as he placed the broom against the wall. “Both, I suppose. Ever since we discovered your grandmother was once English I’ve felt like I don’t really know my parents at all. Now I want to do everything I’ve never dared to do before. I want to ask them prying questions and learn everything I can.” He gave the ground a couple more hard swipes with the broom.
“I guess we’ll have to hope they feel like telling us their news when they get home.”
“I’ll be disappointed if they use this trip as another excuse to keep secrets.”
“I think we’re beyond that, Daed, don’t you think?”
“I hope so.” Though it wasn’t all that hot out, Peter realized he’d broken out in a sweat. He wiped his brow. “I must have gotten out of shape in that treatment center. I’m feeling winded already.”
Roman nodded, but then his eyes narrowed as he gazed over Peter’s shoulder. “Hold on. I cannot believe he had the nerve to show up here.”
Peter turned around and looked out the open barn door. “Who are you talking about?”
“Landon.”
“Ah. So he has returned.” With a faint smile, he murmured, “Hmm. I wonder who he came to see . . . you or Elsie?”
“It better be me,” Roman said. “I went over and talked to him a couple of days ago.”
“What about?”
“About Elsie. I told him that she was going blind.” He shook his head in obvious frustration. “I thought he understood that I didn’t want him to see Elsie anymore.”
Though Peter had been concerned about Elsie seeing the young man next door, he was focused on trying to convince Elsie to change her mind—not talking to Landon.
“You shouldn’t have done that, son.”
“Why? Elsie needs someone looking out for her.”
“But you weren’t doing that. You were getting into her business. There’s a difference.”
Roman shrugged off his warning hand. “Daed, remember it was Elsie who got on the phone and called Amanda and invited her and Regina out here. It’s a little too late for you to worry about us getting involved in each other’s lives. It’s obviously what we do.”
“That was different, Roman,” he warned. “That was to help your relationship, not put on the brakes.”
Still watching Landon, Roman’s voice rose a bit. “Look at that, he isn’t even walking over this way. He’s going directly to the front door, just like he’s been invited or something. I better go see what he wants.”
“Roman, if you’re not careful, you’re going to get them both upset with you.”
“They might be upset now, but they’ll each thank me one day. I’m doing the right thing, Daed.”
As Roman marched out the door, Peter picked up the broom, but after a halfhearted swipe, he set it against the wall. He was far more interested in Roman’s trek to the house, where he was undoubtedly getting ready to stick his nose into things that weren’t his business.
Imagining the words that were about to be exchanged, he whistled low. He had a feeling things were about to get ugly, indeed.
What had happened to his even-keeled son who always kept to himself?
chapter fifteen
He’d come back.
“Landon, I’m so happy to see you,” Elsie said as she laid his coat over the back of a kitchen chair.
Then, realizing she sounded a bit too exuberant, she attempted to temper her enthusiasm. “Of course, it’s a bit of a surprise to see you so early. I thought you worked late every night.”
“Not every night. Since we stopped early, I decided to take a chance and see if you were home. I’m glad you are,” he added as he followed her through the house. “I hope it isn’t a bad time?”
“Not at all.” She thought his voice sounded a bit strained, but she brushed it off, blaming her nerves instead of his manner.
She was nervous. But excited, too. As they walked, she was thankful that most of the family had already left and that her brother and father were in the barn.
She didn’t want a single thing to happen to disrupt the moment. She had a caller!
When they sat down next to each other on the overstuffed sofa in the living room, she couldn’t help but recall the day Edward had come over to see Viola, his dog, Gretta, in tow. They’d all teased Viola of course.
But Elsie vividly recalled feeling more than a little jealous. That day, she’d
believed what Roman and Viola had always thought to be true: that she would never have a caller of her own.
“Have you been busy with work?” she asked politely.
He shrugged. “Busy enough.”
“Um, how is your haus? I mean, is everything going well with your new home?”
“It is fine.” He folded his hands together and let them hang while he braced his arms on his knees. “Actually, Elsie, I came over here for a specific reason.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” He straightened. “Something happened since we went for a buggy ride.”
He’s met someone else. He’s realized that he really didn’t like me after all. Forcing herself to keep her expression neutral, she nodded. “I see. What happened?”
“Your brother came to see me.”
With those six words, all thoughts of romance fled, replaced quickly with a burning feeling of betrayal. “Roman went to see you . . . about me?”
“Jah.” He inhaled, then exhaled in a rush. “He told me about your disease, Elsie.”
“I . . . I see.” She was struggling with her anger, her hurt, all the feelings churning inside her, when she heard the kitchen door open and footsteps on the wooden floor striding their way.
Scrambling to her feet, she faced the doorway, not a doubt in her head about who had suddenly decided to join them.
Next to her, Landon stood as well.
The moment Roman strode into sight, he scowled at the two of them. “Landon, what are you doing here?”
“I believe it’s fairly evident,” Landon retorted. His tone was cool and angry, and his stance looked aggressive, definitely not cowed by her brother’s anger.
It was a side of him she’d never seen before.
Roman acted like she wasn’t there. “Landon, I told you not to court Elsie.”
“I know what you said.”
Folding his arms over his chest, Roman tapped a foot. “Then why are you here?”
Incredulous at her brother’s actions and tone, she couldn’t help but interrupt. “Roman, how could you do such a thing?” Already she could feel tears welling in her eyes, hear her voice quiver with frustration. Oh, but that was not the way she wanted to handle this!
Her brother ignored her, but Landon immediately glanced her way. He must not have liked what he saw, because he pursed his lips before turning back to Roman. “I don’t answer to you,” he said quietly.
Feeling the tension rise in the room, Elsie knew she needed to do something and fast. “You need to leave us alone,” she said, giving her brother a firm stare.
Even with her poor eyesight, she could see that she’d caught him off guard.
“Elsie, I know you’re upset. We’ll talk about this later.”
“We surely will not! I don’t want to talk to you about this. Or anything at all, for that matter.”
“But—”
As Roman continued to stand in front of her, ready to issue more orders, Elsie felt one of the tears she’d been trying so hard to keep at bay fall down her cheek.
She was so embarrassed, so humiliated. Why, Landon probably couldn’t wait to run out of their house and never look back!
And since there was no going back, she let her temper fly, the temper she hadn’t even realized she had. “Roman, now!”
Beside her, Landon reached out and patted her back. “It’s okay, Elsie,” he whispered. “I promise.”
Still glaring at her interfering brother, she shook her head. “Nee. It is definitely not okay.”
To her dismay, Roman still stood there. As she eyed him, she tried to think of a way to convince him to leave without making the situation even worse.
Was there any way to salvage the conversation?
“Roman?” Amanda said from the entrance of the dining room. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
After glancing at Elsie and Landon, she clicked her tongue. “I think otherwise.” Walking to her husband’s side, she wrapped one slim hand around his elbow and tugged. “I truly am sorry, Elsie,” she murmured before directing all her attention to her husband. “Roman, you need to come with me upstairs.”
When he hesitated, she hardened her voice. “Right away.”
At last, he turned and walked out. When they were out of sight, Elsie felt more tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks.
This had to be one of the worst moments of her life. Even harder to bear than the day she’d gotten glasses and been so excited to show her family, only to realize they saw them not as the gift they were, but as a symbol of her handicap.
Wearily, she sat down and waited for Landon to turn and leave.
Instead, he sat down beside her, this time a little closer.
“You’re staying?” she asked in surprise.
“I am . . . unless you want me to leave, too?”
“You don’t want to get out of here?” She would. She would have run out the door as fast as her feet could carry her!
“I came over to talk to you,” he said gently. “That’s what I intend to do. If your brother will let us do that,” he added with a roll of his eyes.
“I am so sorry about my bruder.”
“You never have to apologize for him. I have a brother, too,” he said with a low chuckle. “I love Daniel, but even he can get carried away with his own agenda sometimes.”
“Is he older, too?”
“He is, but not by much. Although, it hardly matters now. We’re both adults.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one blessed with such a brother.”
“I think older brothers are all the same everywhere. Though I hate to admit it, I know I’ve been a bit heavy-handed with my own sister, Mary.” Turning more serious, he said, “Elsie, I do have questions about your disease. Are you willing to talk about it?”
“Jah.” She was resigned.
“Talk to me, then. What is wrong with your eyes?”
“I have a disease called keratoconus. It means that my eyes are slowly failing me. Most folks that have this don’t have troubles until their thirties or forties. But a small percentage somehow contract the disease at a young age. That’s what happened to me. I was diagnosed when I was twelve.”
“So . . . are you really going blind?”
“More or less.” She ached to give him hope, to give them both hope. But sometimes there was nothing to say in the face of the hard truth.
She felt him scan her face, almost as if he were looking for flaws. “Can you see much now?”
“I can see, but a lot of what I see is hazy. I can’t always see details.” She bit her tongue as he nodded his understanding. Here she was, trying to be honest, but she was still glossing over the worst.
She couldn’t see any details now. She couldn’t read. Couldn’t always judge people’s expressions. Hardly ever saw stray toys on the floor. Doing something as simple as putting a key in a lock was almost impossible.
He breathed in deeply. “Is there, uh, anything else you need to tell me?”
“Only . . . only that it’s just my eyes that have failed me, Landon. The rest of me is perfectly fine. And I’m more than two bad eyes,” she said quickly. “I’m smart and I’m a hard worker.”
He chuckled softly. “You sound as if you’re applying for a job.”
She winced, thinking he was right. “I sometimes feel as if no one sees me for who I am. They only see their fears about my future.”
“Your family cares about you.”
“I know. However, I’m not helpless. I can do things, especially if it’s in a place where I’m comfortable. But the fact is . . . one day I won’t be able to see much at all.”
“What are you going to do then?”
“I suppose I’ll figure out how to live with being technically blind,” she said, almost surprising herself. “I don’t want to sit and be coddled.” Straightening her shoulders a bit, she added, “I’m not the first person to have this disease, Landon. I sure won’t be t
he last. I need to learn to live with this disease, not simply be a victim of it.”
She felt his gaze settle on her. She might have been imagining it, but it felt comforting and warm. Almost like a fond caress. Not the revulsion or pity that she’d half expected.
“Elsie, why didn’t you tell me about your eyesight earlier? I let you walk to the door all by yourself. I could have escorted you.”
“I didn’t need your help walking to the door, Landon.”
“Still, you should have told me. I had no idea.”
There was no way she could easily explain how it felt to be around someone who saw her as completely normal. Knowing she wouldn’t do justice to her feelings at the moment, she settled for an easy explanation. “We talked when you came over. You helped me with the laundry. We went on a buggy ride, Landon. That’s it. I didn’t know if you’d want to go on a second one.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe you don’t have anything about yourself that you’re sometimes hesitant to share, but I wanted to wait to tell you, at least until I thought we might have something more.”
“That makes a lot of sense.”
“Does it?” She still couldn’t believe that he’d sided with her against Roman, and that he hadn’t bade her a quick goodbye after she’d told him the worst about herself.
“Elsie, I’m going to be real honest here. Ever since I first saw you, I knew I wanted to get to know you. Every time we’ve talked, I’ve enjoyed your company. Our time together the other night only made those feelings stronger for me.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, if you’d like to go out with me again, if you’d like to spend more time together, I would like that. Verra much.”
His words were honest—almost blunt. But what she noticed the most was that he wasn’t adding limits or constraints to his request. “That’s it?” she asked.
He smiled so broadly, even she could see his full mouth of white teeth. “Yeah. There’s just one thing that I ask.”
“What is that?”
“Please be honest with me. I can deal with anything if it’s the truth.” He clenched his hands together. “I once courted a woman who I liked a lot. I thought she was the one for me, you know?” When she nodded, he continued. “Anyway, it turned out that Tricia lied to me about quite a few things.”
Eventide: The Days of Redemption Series, Book Three Page 10
